Selfie-hunting influencers spark chaos in the Dolomites as huge queues form to climb mountain for view of world-famous triple peak

By SOPHIA STANFORD, NEWS REPORTER Published: 12:44, 27 July 2026 | Updated: 12:55, 27 July 2026 Influencers have sparked chaos in the Dolomites over the huge queues formed to take a picture in front of the famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Streams of tourists have been lining up the streets ahead of the iconic landmark, also known as the triple peak, with the region's authorities admitting that its services have reached full capacity.  Many travel influencers have taken to posting about their hikes in the Dolomites in the last several months, boasting glorious views, picturesque landscapes and untouched wildlife from the UNESCO World Heritage Site. They also reveal tips and tricks for hiking in the Italian mountains, with dozens posting about how to reach the Tre Cime for their visit – as well as the best routes for the most scenic views.  Last week, an outrageous video revealed the extent of the 'viral' reach of these posts, where it appears the dozens of tourists – which snake around bends in the road – are waiting to board a coach in Misurina, near the base of the peaks. Much like the influencer videos offering a 'how-to' approach for visiting the Tre Cime, these tourists are likely waiting to board one of the coaches that ferries the masses of visitors every half an hour to a larger nearby town, Cortina d'Ampezzo. 'Make sure you get there early because it gets BUSY,' a travel content creator advised on TikTok, in regards to getting the €10 bus.  'Expect to queue up to 45 minutes in peak times,' they added, 'if you do decide to drive BOOK AHEAD as you need to reserve a space at the car park to even drive up the toll road to get to the start of the hike.' View this post on Instagram @agtravels1 Everything you need to know before hiking Tre Cime - AKA The Three Peaks Use this as your guide to the most famous hike in the Dolomites! Let us know which hike you want to know more about next 💭 #dolomites #dolomiteshike #budgettravel #travelingeurope #travelhack But within one hour of setting off, 'you can get to the perfect viewpoint'.  The queues have sickened locals, who have taken to mocking the 'sheep' who have flocked to the landmark in huge numbers. One disgruntled user commented under the video of queues: 'And to think that until social media existed, these places were unknown to the masses'. One woman wrote 'This is no longer tourism....' to which another replied 'they are the sheep of the influencers'.  Another said 'To take a selfie and post it...' while Heido Pillon joked 'with the time they've wasted in the queue, they would have arrived on foot.' Andrea Palonta said: 'You have one of the most beautiful nations in the world and you have to flock to those three places because it's cool, to make a reel on social media, because some guy went there.'  Fabrizio Sciandra said: 'The entire Dolomites area is under attack, in my opinion. Money is fine, but there is a limit to everything, especially when it comes to the environment, biodiversity, and the overall ecological appearance. 'However, there are some specific places that in recent years have been suffering more than others, and there I feel that some serious measures must be taken to protect everything.' View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram Giovanni Duso said 'my poor Dolomites', while Dara Drioli said 'fortunately, I was there more than 20 years ago when there was no such delirium.' Corriere della Sera reported that a combination of good weather following three days of rain, limited seating on the shuttle buses and lengthy procedures to buy tickets have all contributed to the extensive queues plaguing the foot of Tre Cime.  The councillor for the area, Nicola Bombassei, who oversees the environment and land use planning reportedly said the queues were 'unacceptable', adding that the region is already seeing a record number of visitors. This was in spite of 'limiting access for the second year in a row' and 'strongly encouraging online bookings to avoid too much crowding on site'. Efforts will be made to find ways to reduce crowds, she said.  A ski-lift has been suggested in recent years as a means to better manage overcrowding in these zones, however many argue this contravenes a quota system restricting vehicle access to the area.  The director of operations for Dolomiti Bus, Gabriele Mariani, was reported to have said that their shuttle service has been reinforced in the wake of the masses of crowds. 'We are constantly monitoring visitor flow and adapting our service according to needs,' he added.  Despite local services trying to accommodate the influx of visitors, there is no shortage of advice on social media on how to maximise your trip to Tre Cime. View this post on Instagram One influencer gave guidance on the route to best take pictures with, arguing that tourists should 'hike the loop clockwise for the best and most impressive views'. Another advised to 'skip the crowds at Tre Cime for sunset' by instead hiking to Passo Giau which has 'insane' views and is '80 per cent less crowded'.  Another option boasted by another was to 'arrive early at the three peaks of Lavaredo, we arrived there at 6.30AM and as you can see there was nearly no one there'. Although, this suggestion was met with ridicule by one user who commented: 'Go early to avoid the crowds [tick] make viral TikTok to send more crowds [tick]'. Meanwhile, one influencer has complained online that the 'Tre Cime parking now works like a countdown clock.' 'Your €40 permit is valid for 12 hours only. If you enter at 6AM and don't exit by 6PM, the gate will charge you for a second full-day booking (€80 total).' In another region of the Dolomites, another influencer posted about private viewpoints in Seceda tourists can pay for to get a better view. 'On Seceda, private landowners have reportedly reactivated a €5 turnstile on the popular ridge line path. You literally have to pay to walk to the famous cliff-edge view.'